Matt Webster’s career once seemed destined to stay within the walls of Electronic Arts. He first joined EA in 1990 and spent almost twenty years developing titles for the Criterion studio, the team behind the Burnout and Need for Speed franchises that EA acquired in 2004. In early 2023, however, Webster, together with former Criterion colleagues Steve Uphill, Pete Lake, Andrei Shires and Alan McDairmant, decided to strike out on their own and founded the independent UK studio Fuse Games. Three and a half years later the fledgling studio is poised to launch its debut title, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, under the banner of the newly independent publisher Secret Mode.
Galactic Racer arrives roughly 24 years after the last Star Wars‑themed racing game, 2002’s Racer Revenge, and it does so at a moment when traditional racing games have lost some of their mainstream appeal. Recent industry news underscores this shift: Amazon withdrew from a publishing agreement with Maverick Games for its upcoming driving title Clutch, with Amazon Games head Jeff Gattis explaining that the market simply didn’t have room for another conventional racer.
Meanwhile, Criterion itself has largely moved away from the genre, redirecting its resources toward the Battlefield franchise. Despite these signals, Webster remains convinced there is a viable audience for a Star Wars racing experience.
“We clearly think there’s a market for a Star Wars racing game,” he told GamesIndustry.biz. “We’re not the only ones who feel that way, and the response we get from people watching our videos or reading our articles suggests we’re not alone.” He argues that gaming genres are cyclical. “We went through a period where shooters dominated, but that’s just one phase. As more people play video games, even the smallest niches can find a larger audience.” Webster believes gamers are hungry for "fun, interesting, compelling new experiences that they haven’t seen before," and he sees Galactic Racer as delivering exactly that.
The team set out to capture the instant‑gratification feel of classic arcade racers while also asking, "What could we do if we weren’t limited by tyres and tarmac?" The answer, he says, includes tracks that climb the side of an active volcano and courses that feel more like roller‑coasters than traditional circuits. Beyond the high‑octane thrills, Galactic Racer seeks to upend long‑standing conventions of the racing genre.
For two decades, most racing games have hinged on a car‑collection model, where players unlock new vehicles over time. Webster wants to tear that formula apart and borrow mechanics from other genres. One of the most radical changes is the introduction of meaningful consequences for crashing.
In many modern racers, a rewind button eliminates any penalty for a mistake, but Fuse wants crashes to matter. "If you crash too many times you’re sent back to the start, but you keep some meta‑progression with you," he explains.
"When you’re on your last life, you start weighing risk versus reward in a way you don’t in typical arcade racers." The design philosophy draws heavily from roguelike titles such as Hades, Returnal and Slay the Spire—games built around infinite replayability and procedural variation. "Racing thrives on replayability," Webster notes, "so marrying it with roguelike principles feels like a match made in heaven." Each run in Galactic Racer offers a fresh combination of track layouts, power‑ups and challenges, encouraging players to experiment and adapt rather than simply memorising a single optimal line. Webster acknowledges that this approach is a bold departure from the hand‑holding that has become common in AAA games, especially at a time when blockbuster releases like GTA VI dominate the conversation.
Galactic Racer is slated for launch on October 6, comfortably ahead of GTA VI’s November 19 release but close to other high‑profile titles such as Control: Resonance and Silent Hill: Townfall, which dropped on September 24. "September looks busy, but October has always been crowded too," he says, recalling the industry’s old nickname “Murderers’ Row” for a packed release window. Fuse approaches the competition with what he calls a "healthy sense of confidence" tempered by a realistic view of how the market might respond. When asked about the wave of layoffs sweeping the industry, Webster reflects on his long tenure.
He remembers a similar contraction fifteen years ago and notes a recurring truth: "Great teams make great games, and great games find an audience." He warns that a pervasive aversion to risk is limiting innovation. "If you’re unwilling to take calculated bets, you’ll miss opportunities," he adds. Starting a new studio in 2023 has not been easy.
Funding is scarce, and many people questioned the wisdom of launching an independent studio after three decades at EA. Webster describes the experience as a crash course in entrepreneurship: "You have to build a great team, refine a clear creative vision, and stay disciplined enough to execute a plan you know is imperfect. Then you review, adapt, and stay true to your values." He emphasizes that engaged, motivated talent is the engine of success.
Fuse Games remains relatively small for a project of AAA scope, employing roughly 75 people. This deliberate size avoids the industry’s typical pattern of rapid expansion followed by contraction. Instead, Fuse leans on external development partners to fill skill gaps.
"We’re not doing the grow‑shrink‑grow‑shrink cycle," Webster explains. "Our model is a lean core team plus trusted partners who share our values, whether they’re providing transactional asset creation or acting as an extension of our own team in daily stand‑ups, Slack channels and code repositories." The United Kingdom, with its mature game development ecosystem, proves especially fertile for such collaborations.
In the past, studios would reluctantly assist competitors, but today many firms actively seek diverse projects to keep their staff fresh and motivated. This cultural shift makes co‑development a sustainable strategy for delivering AAA‑level quality on a more manageable budget. Webster points to the speed of Galactic Racer’s development as evidence that the model works.
Fuse was founded in January 2023; three and a half years later the team has built a studio, assembled a crew, and delivered a game built on Unreal Engine 5—a technology none of them had mastered at the outset. "It feels like an achievement, and we did it in a healthy, sustainable way," he says. A notable aspect of Fuse’s workforce is the infusion of younger talent alongside the Criterion veterans. One of the producers on Galactic Racer had never worked in games before joining the project.
"The young developers are smarter and more effective in many ways than I was at their age," Webster observes. He argues that nurturing junior staff not only accelerates innovation but also creates a more dynamic workplace.
While seasoned developers may prefer senior colleagues who require little interaction, Webster believes that fostering growth in younger team members benefits everyone. Looking ahead, Webster hopes to formalize an internship program to continue attracting fresh talent, though he admits the studio is still pre‑revenue. He cites Criterion’s successful intern pipelines as a model and acknowledges the costs associated with developing new talent, but remains optimistic about the long‑term payoff. Reflecting on the industry’s past focus on “superstar” creators, Webster dismisses the myth of the singular visionary as "bullshit." He stresses that games are collaborative endeavors, and that funding should be directed toward strong teams rather than individual personalities.
"If you’re a solo developer, maybe that works, but most games are built by groups of people working together," he says. As for Fuse’s future beyond Galactic Racer, Webster admits plans are still taking shape. The launch is just the beginning, and the studio remains open to exploring new opportunities and ideas. "Independent developers need to stay flexible and adaptable," he concludes, "and we’re ready to evolve as the market evolves."